Hydrostat



L. R. WALL March 3o, 1965 HYDROSTAT 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 25, 1957 will lNvENToR. LESTER R. wALl. BY

Mmh so, 1965 l.. R. WALL 3,175,490

HYDROSTAT Filed June 2,5, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.2.

INVENTOR. LESTER R.WALL

BY j/gg' ATTYS March 30, 1965 R. WALL 3,175,490

HYDROSTAT Filed Jurvle 25, 1957 I 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG.3.

INVENTOR. v LqsTER R.wAx.|

BY W

ATTYS.

United States Patent O 3,175,490 HYDRSTAT Lester R. Wall, Silver Spring, Md., assigner to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary ef the Navy Filed Enne 25, 1957, Ser. No. 667,998 8 Claims. (Cl. 102-14) (Granted under' Title 35, US. Code (1952), sec. 266) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government' of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

The invention relates to a means for mooring a buoyant ordnance device at a predetermined distance below the surface of a body of water and is more particularly concerned with a new and improved hydrostatic pressure responsive means for a mine or the like which releases a bight in the mooring cable when the mine has risen to a selected level below the surface of the water to momentarily reduce the tension in the mooring cable and lock a cable drum within the mine anchor.

Mines of the general type disclosed herein have been in use for some time and this application is directed to a new and improved hydrostat for releasing the bight.

The depth regulating mechanism of the present invention is adapted to be used in conjunction with mines in which the mine and an anchor containing the cable drum which pays out the mooring cable are launched as a unit and are separated during the descent thereof through the water by virtue of the buoyancy of the mine which retards its descent. After the anchor cornes to rest, the mine begins to drift toward the surface, unreeling the mooring cable carried in the anchor. A rod or wire releasably connected to the hydrostat at one end and rigidly secured to the anchor at the opposite end is now withdrawn from the hydrostat thereby arming it. A bight or relatively short length of cable is connected between the mine and the upper portion of the mooring cable via the hydrostat to provide a slack loop in the mooring cable at the end connected to the mine. Accordingly, when the mine rises to a predetermined depth, the hydrostat is actuated and the bight is released. The attendant reduction of tension in the mooring cable as the mine now rises freely until the end of the slack is reached operates the locking mechanism of a reel in the anchor to moor the mine at the selected depth.

The mine anchor forms no part of the instant invention and will not be described in detail herein. Suiiice it to say that the anchor may be of any type which includes a drum for paying out cable and in which a reduction of tension in the mooring cable causes the drum to be locked. A suitable anchor is more fully described in U.S. Letters Patent 2,435,580 to I. B. Glennon.

The hydrostat of the instant invention is of the same general type as that described in the patent to Joseph Turlay, U.S. 2,706,948 but contains several improvements upon the device described in that patent. The Turlay device performs satisfactorily at depths of about eighty feet but for operation at greater depths, the coil spring which actuates the depth regulating device must be prohibitively large to overcome the greater hydrostatic pressures. In the Turlay apparatus, the hydrostat is armed as the mine and anchor sink in the water by a ball and rotating sleeve arrangement which functions satisfactorily but is rather expensive to manufacture and is unduly complex. Furthermore, the Turlay hydrostat is extremely ditlicult to adjust in the eld to provide a reliable and accurate increase or decrease of the depth at which the mine will be moored.

ice

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved means for releasing a bight in the mooring cable of a submerged mine when the mine has risen to a predetermined depth in the water.

Another object is to provide a precise and easily adjustable hydrostat for releasing a bight in the mooring cable of a submarine mine when the mine has risen within the water to a predetermined depth and in which the hydrostat is of the type that is dropped to the floor of the body of water when the bight is released.

Still another object is to provide a new and improved hydrostat which is cocked prior to launching and which has a simple arming mechanism operable by the movement of the mine with respect to its anchor.

Yet another object is to provide a rugged device operable by hydrostatic pressure which device may be selectively adjusted to operate at any point over a wide range of depths.

An even further object is to provide a new and improved bight releasing hydrostat wherein the bight of cable is released at any desired depth of water by the force exerted by a cantilever beam acting against the hydrostatic pressure of the water.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of a hydrostat having a depth responsive bight releasing mechanism including an overhanging cantilever beam which device is rugged, reliable and is easily adjusted by altering the overhang of the cantilever.

These and many other objects will become more apparent when the following specication is read in the light of the accompanying drawings wherein the numerals designate like parts throughout the several views and in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a cocked hydrostat and a bight of cable connected thereto prior to removal of the arming wire;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section of the cocked hydrostat prior to removal of the arming wire;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the bight gripping portion of the hydrostat subsequent to the release of the bight and FIG. 4 is a longitudinal section of the bight gripping portion of the hydrostat after the release of the bight.

Referring now with greater particularity to the FIG- URES 1-4 inclusive, it is seen that the hydrostat 10 includes a thick walled casing 11 defining a hollow interior portion 15 and having an opening 12 at one end thereof. A guide or receptacle 13 is formed within the interior of the casing opposite aperture 12 and in substantial alignment therewith. Slidably disposed within receptacle 13 is a rod 14 which extends internally of the casing and is operatively connected to a diaphragm 16 by means of nut 17, washer 18, and enlarged shoulder 19. Diaphragm 16 is sealingly disposed about the aperture 12 and is retained in position in a threaded recessed well 21 above `aperture 12 by a peripheral hold down nut 22 and washer 23. Accordingly, diaphragm 16 iexes in response to pressure variations between the water surrounding the hydrostat which acts upon one face of the diaphragm and the air confined within casing 11 which acts upon the opposite face. A piston 24 having a neck portion 27 is connected to the projecting end of rod 14 by an elongated pin 23 which pin extends beyond the diameter of neck 27. A cantilever beam 29 having one end fixed to the casing at 31 by bolts 32 and locking plate 33, extends above aperture 12. At its opposite end 30, the beam 29 is provided with an indentation or recess 34 which is substantially larger than the diameter of the neck 27 of piston 24 so that the neck may be inserted through indentation 34 during the assembly of the hydrostat to allow the end 30 of the cantilever 29 to operate against the aforesaid projecting portion of pin L28 in the manner hereinafter more fully described.

A bore 36 is formed with the casing -ll immediately below the xed end of cantilever 29 to receive a lead screw 37 which is operatively connected to an internally threaded block 38 upon which cantilever 29 rests so that by rotating the lead screw, the block may be made to slide along a guide way 4l formed in casing ll, below cantilever 29, thereby altering the overhang of said cantilever.

As shown most clearly in FIGS. 2 and 4, the piston 24 operates within a cylindrical housing 4Z formed integral with a thick semillange 43 which is connected by bolts 46 to a pair of raised lugs 484 on casing l1. By thus standing off ange 43 from the casing, an opportunity is afforded the ambient water pressure to act on diaphragm 16. This housing is made dust-tight at one end by the cap on closure 47, while an arming wire or rod 4E extends through the cap and housing and is connected to the anchor via bracket 49 for removal upon separation of the anchor and the hydrostat when the rnine is planted.

rlhe actual bight releasing portion of the mechanism is generally similar to the mechanism of Turlay except for certain modifications which simplify the operation of the device. A pair of movable jaws 5l are pivotally connected to the ange 43 by pins 52 which are secured to the flange. A second pair of pins 53 pivotally connect each of the jaws 51 to its respective link 54.

A bifurcated piston locking fork 56 is disposed within the lower portion of `cylinder' 42 and is slidable in a direction transverse to the line of action of piston 24. An apertured plate 5S is secured to one end of housing 42 by screws 45 to retain fork 56 in position. Each tine of fork 56 has an `arcuate depression or recess S7 .to form a seat to receive the piston 2d. Attention is directed to the fact that the spacing between the tines of fork 56 is much greater than the diameter of the neck portion 27 of the piston so that the movement of the fork cannot be inhibited by the neck. The fork 56 is connected by pins 59 to the free ends of the links 54 which links are connected at their opposite ends to movable jaws 51. A continuous spring 6l is Wound around each of the pins S9 and hooked aronnd one of the respective links 54 at each end whereby said spring tends to urge the .fork 56 outwardly from cylindrical housing 42. This outward movement of `forked element 56 acts on jaws S1 via links 54 to move the jaws away `from .the flanged portion d3 thereby opening a pair of bight engaging eyes 62 formed on diametrically opposite sides of housing 42 by complementary recesses 63 and `64' in the flange and jaws respectively. One of the eyes 62 is connected, as by a short chain or cable 7, having a loop or ring 5 at one end to the mine (not shown), and the other of the eyes 62 is releasably connected to a loop or ring 6 at one end of a mooring cable 9; the other end of which is secured to the mine anchor (not shown). A bight of cable 8 is connected to cables 7 and 9 at eyes 62 and 63 to form a slack loop in a manner well known in the art. However, when piston 24 is seated in the shaped depressions 57, the bifurcated element 56 is restrained from outward movement, and the cable engagingreyes 62 remain closed.

Operation The hydrostat is cocked by removing the cap 47 and urging the bifurcated member inwardly of housing 42 while simultaneously depressing piston 24 until the piston engages the recesses formed in member S6 thereby locking the member in position. While mechanically constraining the bifurcated member in position, the cap is replaced and arming wire 43 is inserted through housing 42 to maintain piston 24 in the aforesaid cocked or locked position. Accordingly, 4when the restraining force upon the bifurcated member is released, the spring 6l is disabled from urging this member' outwardly of the housing to release or unlock the jaws Si. During the cooking operation, the rod 14 is moved downwardly in receptacle 13 thereby flexing diaphragm 16 toward the interior of the 5, casing l1. Of course, prior to this flexure of the diaphragm, the interior of the casing is at atmospheric pressure; after the diaphragm is flexed, the pressure within the casing remains approximately atmospheric since the travel of piston '24 and rod FA is rather short and consequently the diaphragm tlexes but little.

When the piston Z4- is depressed, pin 28 deiects the cantilever 29, therefore the cantilever exerts a `force to disengage piston 24 and member S6 vas it tends to resume its undeliected position. It is to be noted that when cantilever 2% is deflected -in the manner described so that its free end 3G is lower `than its constrained edge 67, it rests upon the leading edge 6d of block 33 and not across the entire surface of the block. Consequently, the effective overhang of the cantilever is measured from the constrained edge 67 to edge 66 rather than to some arbitrary or indeterminate point on the surface of block 38.

Upon launching of the mine, the anchor portion sinks to the floor of the body of water and the buoyant mine Ibegins to float toward the surface carrying the hydrostat with it, thereby removing the arming rod 48 from housing 42. However, the piston 24 is not now free to move to the unlocked position because the water pressure acting on` diaphragm i6 is sufficient -to maintain the diaphragm exed and prevent movement of rod 14 and piston 24. vVhen the hydrostat rises to a level at which the aforementioned -force exerted by cantilever 29 counterbalances the force exerted against diaphragm le by the hydrostatic head of water, piston 24 is unseated from the arcuate recesses 57 in the tines of member 56 allowing mem-ber 56 to slide outwardly past the neck of the piston. Whereupon, spring 6i abruptly removes member 56. This movenient opens jaws 5l via links 54 and releases the bight 8 in the cable to introduce suticient slack so that the anchor ceases to pay out cable and the mine is moored at the desired depth.

To alter the depth at which the bight is released, the operator merely adjusts on guide way 41 the position of block 38 by rotating lead screw 37. When the block is in its extreme innermost position, the length of the lever `arm fro-m the center of pin 28 to edge 66 of block 38 is much shorter than the lever arm from 38 to the tixed edge 67 of the cantilever. Therefore, the `force exerted at the end of the cantilever 29 is large and counterbalances a relatively great head of water to actuate the hydrostat and moor the mine at lower depths. Conversely, by adjusting the position of block 33 so that the overhang 4distance between edges 66 and 67, FIG. 1, is small, the bight may be released when the mine is closer to the surface.

The end of cantilever Z9 acting against pin 23 travels along the arc of a circle, therefore the direction of the resultant force exerted upon piston 24 cannot be coaxial with the piston at all times. The tendency for the piston to cock or bend in housing 42 as a result of the nonaxial forcesl exerted upon it by the cantilever is eliminated by so constructing the hydrostat that the angle between the undeiiected cantilever or the lead screw and the longitudinal axis of the piston is slightly greater tha-n degrees and by providing some clearance between the piston and the interior of housing. Additionally, the fact that the travel of the piston and the travel of the end of the cantilever are short, minimize the tendency of the piston to bind.

For more facile use in the field, it may be desirable to incorporate a pre-calibrated scale 68 along the casing and to attach a pointer or indicator 69 to block 38 so that the position of the block may be directly correlated to the depth at which the mine is to be moored.

By utilizing a cantilever having an overhanging portion from edge 66 to edge 67 of selectively variable length, a rugged hydrostat is provided which is inherently versatile since it can be precisely adjusted in the field to operate over the entire range of depths required for any tactical mine.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. lt is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A hydrostat comprising a housing, a flange immoveably fixed to said housing, :at least one moveable jaw together with said flange forming at least one separable link, jaw actuating means connected to said jaw for actuation thereof, a piston operable within said housing between a cocked means-engaging position and a meansrelease position, whereby said means actuates said jaw to sparate the link when said piston is in the means release position, pressure responsive means coupred to said piston and exerting a force thereupon to restrain said piston in the cocked position, a cantilever beam coupled to said piston to urge said piston into the means release position, whereby said piston moves to the means release position when the force exerted by said cantilever beam exceeds the force exerted by said pressure responsive means.

2. A depth responsive bi-glit releasing device for une in submarine ordnance which comprises a cylindrical housing, means integral therewith, a pair of moveable jaws pivotally connected to said means and together therewith forming a pair of openable cable receiving links on diametrically opposite sides of said housing, a piston disposed within said housing and operative between a cocked position and a release position, a bifurcated member operatively associated with said pair of jaws and slidable transvensely of said housing, said bifurcated member having a shaped depression engageable with said piston when said piston is in the cocked position to restrain movement of said member, means moveable in response to ambient water pressure and coupled to said piston to maintain engagement of said member and said piston, an overhung cantilever beam having its free end cooperating with said piston in such a man-ner that said beam is deflected by said piston when the piston is in the cocked position, whereby said cantilever exerts a force suflicient to disengage said piston from said member and open said jaws when the force exerted by said cantilever beam exceeds ambient water pressure.

3. A device for selectively releasing a bight in a mooring cable at a predetermined depth comprising a housing, a pair of normally closed moveable jaws adapted to maintain the bight in the cable only when the jaws are in a closed position, `a spring biased bifurcated member ha ing a recess portion therein and connected with said jaws for actuation thereof, a piston slidably arranged in said housing and normally seated within the recessed portion of said bifurcated member to prevent movement thereof, a diaphragm responsive to ambient hydrostatic pressures and operatively connected to said piston for restraining the piston in the recess portion, an overhanging cantilever adapted to unseat said piston from the recess and allow movement of the bifurcated member to thereby actuate said jaws and release the bight, means to adjust the overhang of said cantilever to selectively alter the pressure at which said piston is unseated from the recess.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein the means for adjusting the cantilever comprises a moveable block supporting said cantilever, a lead screw operatively connected with said block to move said block longitudinally of said cantilever upon adjustment of said screw.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein said block carries means to indicate the depth of Water at which the cantilever exerts suicient force to unseat said piston.

6. The device of claim 4 wherei-n the lead screw is disposed at an angle with the longitudinal axis of said piston of more than degrees.

7. A precoclicd hydrostat for releasing a eight in a mooring cable at a predetermined depth comprising, a pair of pivotal jaws for preventing the release of the bight while the jaws are in a closed position, means including a piston and a biased bifurcated member releasably engaged therewith for actuating said jaws upon disengagement, and means for disengaging said piston and bifurcated member at a predetermined depth of Water, said last named means comprising a hydrostatic pressure responsive diaphragm coupled to said piston and exerting a force to retain said piston and said bifurcated member in engagement when the ambient hydrostatic pressure exceeds atmospheric pressure, a cantilever beam having a ixed end and operating against said piston at the other end in a direction to disengage said piston and said bifurcated member, support means disposed intermediate said fixed end and the piston and moveable longitudinally of said beam, said support means together with the fixed end deiining an adjustable overhang portion of said beam, and means for selectively adjusting the position of said support means.

8. A normally cocked hydrostat for releasing a bight in a moving cable at a predetermined depth comprising a pair of moveable jaws for preventing the release of the bight when the jaws are closed, actuating means for opening said jaws, restraining means to lock said actuating means and maintain the jaws in a closed position when said device is cocked, means for unlocking said actuating means to release the bight at a predetermined depth of submergence of the hydrostat within a body of water, said last named means comprising a hollow casing containing a gas initially at atmospheric pressure, a compliant diaphragm associated with said casing and responsive to the difference between ambient, hydrostatic pressure and the pressure of the gas within the casing, said diaphragm being coupled to said restraining means to apply a force thereto, which force is proportional to ambient pressure and tends to prevent unlocking of actuating means, an overhung cantilever secured to said casing at one end and coupled to said restraining means at the other end and exerting a force thereupon tending to unlock said actuating means, a guideway formed in said casing, a support block slidably disposed on said guideway and supporting said cantilever intermediate its ends, and means for varying the position of said support block whereby the overhang of said cantilever may be selectively altered to adjust the unlocking force exerted by said cantilever and to open said jaws at a predetermined depth of water at which the unlocking force exerted by said cantilever is suiiicient to over-balance the force exerted by said diaphragm.

No references cited.

SAMUEL FEiNBERG, Primary Examiner. SAMUEL BOYD, ARTHUR M. HORTON, Examiners. 

1. A HYDROSTAT COMPRISING A HOUSING, A FLANGE IMMOVEABLY FIXED TO SAID HOUSING, AT LEAST ONE MOVEABLE JAW TOGETHER WITH SAID FLANGE FORMING AT LEAST ONE SEPARABLE LINK, JAW ACTUATING MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID JAW FOR ACTUATION THEREOF, A PISTON OPERABLE WITHIN SAID HOUSING BETWEEN A COCKED MEANS-ENGAGING POSITION AND A MEANSRELEASE POSITION, WHEREBY SAID MEANS ACTUATES SAID JAW TO SEPARATE THE LINK WHEN SAID PISTON IS IN THE MEANS RELEASE POSITION, PRESSURE RESPONSIVE MEANS COUPLED TO SAID PISTON AND EXERTING A FORCE THEREUPON TO RESTRAIN SAID PISTON IN THE COCKED POSITION, A CANTILEVER BEAM COUPLED TO SAID PISTON TO URGE SAID PISTON INTO THE MEANS RELEASE POSITION, WHEREBY SAID PISTON MOVES TO THE MEANS RELEASE POSITION WHEN THE FORCE EXERTED BY SAID CANTILEVER BEAM EXCEEDS THE FORCE EXERTED BY SAID PRESSURE RESPONSIVE MEANS. 